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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · calf · present · bass · stock · dip · patient · branch

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stock — goods
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. present — there
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. dip — to sink
  17. branch — a division
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. present — the time now
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bass — low music
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com